Series guide
- Superhero
- Action
- Black comedy
- Drama
Christopher Smith, the self-styled Peacemaker, tries to build a life beyond killing for peace while government black-ops work keeps dragging him back in.
- Creators
- James Gunn
- Stars
- John Cena · Danielle Brooks · Freddie Stroma
Images: HBO Max
Where to watch Peacemaker
Both seasons of Peacemaker stream on HBO Max in the US, all 16 episodes, on every plan from $10.99 a month with ads. You can also add HBO Max as a channel on Prime Video, or buy season 1 outright there. Season 1 is on Blu-ray and DVD; no season 2 disc has been released.
HBO MaxSeasons 1–2, all 16 episodes · every planSubscription
Prime VideoHBO Max channel, $10.99/mo on top of PrimeAdd-on channel- Prime VideoSeason 1: $14.99 for the season in HD, or $2.99 an episodeBuy
Streaming options in the United States, updated Sep 15, 2026. More from hbomax.com, amazon.com. Service logos are trademarks of their owners.
- Episodes aired
- 16 of 16
- Seasons
- 2
- Episodes
- 16
- Rated
- TV-MA
- Season 3
- Not ordered
Seasons 2
Peacemaker episodes 16
Peacemaker has 16 episodes across two seasons, eight in each. Season 1 (2022) was a spin-off of The Suicide Squad; season 2 (2025) moved the show into the DCU.
Season 1 · 8 episodes · 8 aired · Jan 13, 2022 to Feb 17, 2022
S1.E1 ·
A Whole New Whirled
Newly recovered from The Suicide Squad, Chris Smith heads home and finds his freedom depends on joining a secretive government task force.
Directed by James Gunn · Written by James Gunn
S1.E2 ·
Best Friends, For Never
After a messy first night on the job, trust inside the team is thin, and Chris gets an unexpected visitor while he weighs what he has been asked to do.
Directed by James Gunn · Written by James Gunn
S1.E3 ·
Better Goff Dead
The team's first real mission, a stakeout of a high-profile target, goes sideways fast once a skilled bodyguard gets involved.
Directed by James Gunn · Written by James Gunn
S1.E4 ·
The Choad Less Traveled
Chris learns how the team handled his father's legal trouble and decides to confront his family history head-on.
Directed by Jody Hill · Written by James Gunn
S1.E5 ·
Monkey Dory
The team checks out a site linked to their targets and discovers the threat is far bigger than anyone told them.
Directed by Rosemary Rodriguez · Written by James Gunn
S1.E6 ·
Murn After Reading
The police close in on Chris, and one chaotic night leaves the whole team more exposed than ever.
Directed by James Gunn · Written by James Gunn
S1.E7 ·
Stop Dragon My Heart Around
With the team split up and under pressure, Chris is pushed into a confrontation he has avoided for years.
Directed by Brad Anderson · Written by James Gunn
S1.E8 ·
It's Cow or Never
Season finale. With the group at odds, the team makes one last push to stop the threat before time runs out.
Directed by James Gunn · Written by James Gunn
Season 2 · 8 episodes · 8 aired · Aug 21, 2025 to Oct 9, 2025
S2.E1 ·
The Ties That Grind
Chris tries out for a place on a new superhero team, Harcourt struggles to find work, and Economos is ordered to keep watch on his old friend.
Directed by James Gunn · Written by James Gunn
S2.E2 ·
A Man Is Only as Good as His Bird
Economos butts heads with his new supervisor while Chris deals with the fallout of a secret he is keeping from everyone.
Directed by Greg Mottola · Written by James Gunn
S2.E3 ·
Another Rick Up My Sleeve
Chris gets a taste of the hero's life he always wanted, while Economos takes the heat for a mission that went wrong.
Directed by Greg Mottola · Written by James Gunn
S2.E4 ·
Need I Say Door
A.R.G.U.S. steps up its hunt for Chris with some unusual new hires, and Harcourt is handed an offer that puts her in a bind.
Directed by Peter Sollett · Written by James Gunn
S2.E5 ·
Back to the Suture
After a rough run-in with A.R.G.U.S., Chris makes a big choice about his future while his friends try to hold the group together.
Directed by Alethea Jones · Written by James Gunn
S2.E6 ·
Ignorance Is Chris
The 11th Street Kids decide how far they will go for their friend, while Flag looks for help in an unlikely place.
Directed by James Gunn · Written by James Gunn
S2.E7 ·
Like a Keith in the Night
As A.R.G.U.S. closes in, the 11th Street Kids find themselves in far deeper danger than they bargained for.
Directed by Alethea Jones · Written by James Gunn
S2.E8 ·
Full Nelson
Season finale. The 11th Street Kids rally around Chris as Flag's plans raise the stakes for everyone.
Directed by James Gunn · Written by James Gunn
Videos 5
Where Peacemaker sits in the DCU
Peacemaker is the bridge between two versions of DC on screen. Season 1 arrived in January 2022 as a spin-off of a film from the old regime; season 2 arrived in August 2025 as the first TV series released after Superman rebooted the DCU under James Gunn, who wrote all 16 episodes himself.
That makes it an unusually clean entry point. You can watch season 1 knowing only that Chris Smith survived The Suicide Squad, and season 2 rewards a viewing of Superman (2025) without requiring it. No third season has been ordered: after the finale Gunn said he had no plans for one but would not rule it out.
Peacemaker cast 22
John CenaChris Smith / PeacemakerMain · Seasons 1, 2
Danielle BrooksLeota AdebayoMain · Seasons 1, 2
Freddie StromaAdrian Chase / VigilanteMain · Seasons 1, 2- Chukwudi IwujiClemson MurnMain · Season 1
Jennifer HollandEmilia HarcourtMain · Seasons 1, 2
Steve AgeeJohn EconomosMain · Seasons 1, 2
Robert PatrickAuggie SmithMain · Seasons 1, 2
Frank GrilloRick Flag Sr.Main · Season 2- Annie ChangDetective Sophie SongRecurring · Season 1
Lochlyn MunroDetective Larry FitzgibbonGuest · Seasons 1, 2- Elizabeth LudlowKeeya AdebayoGuest · Seasons 1, 2
- Rizwan ManjiJamilRecurring · Season 1
- Nhut LeJudomasterRecurring · Seasons 1, 2
Christopher HeyerdahlCaspar LockeRecurring · Season 1
David DenmanKeith SmithRecurring · Season 2- Sol RodríguezSasha BordeauxRecurring · Season 2
Tim MeadowsLangston FleuryRecurring · Season 2- Michael RookerRed St. WildRecurring · Season 2
- Dee Bradley BakerEagly (voice)Voice · Season 1
Nathan FillionGuy Gardner / Green LanternGuest · Season 2- Isabela MercedKendra Saunders / HawkgirlGuest · Season 2
- Sean GunnMaxwell LordGuest · Season 2
- Creator and showrunner
- James Gunn
- Writer
- James Gunn (all 16 episodes)
- Directors
- James Gunn, Jody Hill, Rosemary Rodriguez, Brad Anderson, Greg Mottola, Peter Sollett, Alethea Jones
- Music
- Clint Mansell, Kevin Kiner
- Studios
- The Safran Company, Troll Court Entertainment, DC Films (season 1), DC Studios (season 2), Warner Bros. Television
Photos via Wikimedia Commons. John Cena: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0; Danielle Brooks: LaShawnda Jones, CC BY-SA 4.0; Freddie Stroma: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0; Jennifer Holland: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0; Steve Agee: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0; Robert Patrick: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CC BY 4.0; Frank Grillo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0; Lochlyn Munro: Ian Gutiérrez Sucre, CC BY-SA 4.0; Christopher Heyerdahl: Jeff Hitchcock from Vancouver, BC, Canada, CC BY 2.0; David Denman: sagindie from Hollywood, USA, CC BY 2.0; Tim Meadows: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0; Nathan Fillion: Kevin Paul, CC BY 4.0.
Peacemaker trivia 10
- Production
Season 1 was shot in Vancouver under the working title 'The Scriptures', starting January 15, 2021, and wrapped after 131 shooting days on July 11. Source
- Production
James Gunn wrote all eight season 1 scripts in about eight weeks, in a gap between finishing The Suicide Squad and starting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Source
- Casting
Freddie Stroma was not the first Vigilante. Chris Conrad was cast in November 2020 and left over creative differences; Stroma replaced him in late May 2021. Source
- Production
The deadpan season 1 opening dance is set to Wig Wam's 'Do Ya Wanna Taste It'; season 2 swaps in Foxy Shazam's 'Oh Lord'. Source
- Production
The score is by Clint Mansell and Kevin Kiner, because The Suicide Squad composer John Murphy was busy scoring Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Source
- Production
Season 2 filmed at Trilith Studios in Atlanta from April to November 2024, at the same time as Superman, which is why Gunn could no longer direct every episode himself. Source
- Casting
Frank Grillo's Rick Flag Sr. has dark hair in season 2, unlike his grey look in Creature Commandos, because Grillo was shooting Tulsa King at the same time and Gunn felt temporary dye would look wrong. Source
- Production
Spoilers Reveals a season 1 finale moment
Season 2's 'previously on' recap reshot the season 1 finale's superhero cameo, swapping the old DCEU Justice League for the new DCU's Justice Gang to fit the new continuity. Source
- Reception
HBO Max said the season 1 finale's viewership was 44 percent higher than the premiere's, and a record single-day audience for an HBO Max original episode at the time. Source
- Reception
Critics liked season 2 more: 94% on Rotten Tomatoes (149 reviews) and 78 on Metacritic, against 93% (91 reviews) and 70 for season 1. Source
More Peacemaker coverage
ComicsJames Gunn’s DCU Slate: What’s Next After Peacemaker?
Comic NewsPeacemaker Season 2 Officially Launches James Gunn’s DCU Era With Bold Justice League Retcon
ComicsPeacemaker Season 2 Premieres Today: James Gunn’s Emotional Multiverse Story Changes Everything for John Cena’s Antihero
Comic NewsKumail Nanjiani’s Booster Gold Casting Rumors Explode After Viral Peacemaker Season 2 Premiere Photo
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch Peacemaker?
Both seasons stream on HBO Max in the US on every plan. HBO Max is also available as a channel on Prime Video, and season 1 can be bought on Prime Video.
How many seasons and episodes of Peacemaker are there?
Two seasons and 16 episodes: season 1 (2022) and season 2 (2025), eight episodes each.
Is there going to be a Peacemaker season 3?
No third season has been ordered as of September 15, 2026. James Gunn said after the season 2 finale that he had no plans for one, but would not rule it out.
Do I need to watch The Suicide Squad before Peacemaker?
It helps but is not required. Season 1 picks up after the 2021 film, and season 2 is set after Superman (2025) in the DCU.
